ReWire and Reason
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| − | If you start our grid-based sequencer, you will hear that the MIDI stream is not routed; rather, the MIDI input is used by whichever track is currently selected. This isn't optimal, so we want to find a way to force our sequence to be routed to a chosen instrument. | + | If you start our grid-based sequencer, you will hear that the MIDI stream is not routed; rather, the MIDI input is used by whichever track is currently selected. This isn't optimal, so we want to find a way to force our sequence to be routed to a chosen instrument. Performing this sort of routing magic will require two things: MIDI routing setup within Reason, and manipulation of the ''midi'' message that we are sending to the rewire~ object. |
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| + | Let's start with the Reason MIDI routing setup. If we go to the top of our instrument rack, our basic Hardware Interface display doesn't even have anything related to MIDI showing. Clicking on the Advanced MIDI will reveal a MIDI router, which is where we do our dirty work. | ||
''This is a work in progress...'' | ''This is a work in progress...'' | ||
Revision as of 04:01, 28 November 2012
Contents |
Overview Material
Using Max with Reason
In the ReWire Essentials tutorials (linked above), we used Max as both a mixer (hosting application) and "device" (controlled application). These are the two sides of the ReWire connectivity equation, and Max can work equally in both modes. In order to dive into ReWire at a deeper level, let's look at a connection to one of the most-used ReWire packages there is: Propellerheads Reason.
In order to have the most fun with our Max/Reason combination, we are going to do some sequencing and audio processing in Max, and use Reason as a synth/sampling and mixing device. What we *won't* do is run the Reason sequencer or use its recording capabilities. In this way, we'll get to do goofy and interesting Max sequencing and processing (something Max is really good at...), and let Reason handle the synthesis (something Reason is damned good at).
Let's start by creating a very basic connection between Max and Reason. Here's the patch that I created:
Unlike what you see in most of the ReWire help files, I'm using the rewire~ object with a named device. This allows me to state explicitly that this is a connection to Reason, and I don't have to mess around with application selection or other confusing UI elements. I connect the outputs of the rewire~ object to an audio chain (live.gain and ezdac~), and I create two message for the input: "openpanel" and "closepanel".
Different ReWire clients work differently, and even the same application not work the same on Windows vs. Mac. In my case (Max OS X, Reason 6.5), clicking on the "openpanel" message will actually launch the Reason application in ReWire client mode, and will be completely active with no other interaction. If I create a Reason instrument (Kong, in this case), I can play that instrument and receive the audio within my Max patch.
Send MIDI Messages to Reason
The next thing we want to do is to fire notes into the Kong instrument using MIDI messages from Max. To do this, we have to send a specially formatted message into the rewire~ object. The format of the message is:
midi <timestamp> <bus number> <MIDI message> <note value> <velocity value>
Since we don't care about sequence timing or routing, our timestamp and bus number are always 0. Since we are sending notes, our MIDI message is always 144. The note number and velocity information is created by a makenote object, which will take our incoming note information and turn in to MIDI note pairs (noteon and noteoff messages).
The basic note-playing patch will look something like this:
In order to virtually "play" any of the Kong's pads, just click on one of the message boxes (numbered 1-16).
Sequencing in Max, Playing in Reason
The next step is to create some way to do an interesting sequencing system in Max. Let's start by making a simple drum matrix sequencer that is run off the transport:
In this case, we have a transport-based timing system that uses a counter to output a step position. This goes into a live.grid object (set to matrix mode), then the output is split apart and sent to our input keys. These keys are used to send the MIDI messages from the previous patch to the Kong drum machine. This creates a basic grid-style drum sequencer that can play back Kong without having to mess around with pad programming.
But why program the grid at all. By watching for the first step of the sequence and randomizing the grid, we can have Max do the hard work for us! In this updated patch, I have a compound message that is activated whenever the first step is seen:
At that first step, the message will clear and randomly place one note in each column. But I also want a four-on-the-floor kick drum, so I'm using the setcell message to force the kick to fire on every downbeat. While this is really simple generative stuff, it also is surprisingly good-sounding. In fact, some of the patterns are so good that I don't want an immediate change to the next pattern, so I placed a switch at the output of the generator to allow me to "hold" a pattern until I'm sick of it.
Here it is as a copy-compressed patch:
<code> ----------begin_max5_patcher---------- 2118.3oc2b01aaaCD9yI+JHLFv9vb036TpnXX6uv951PghMqCaskLjjS51v5 u8wWjbjarnncsXSLJpcjDMycO2Cu6Huy4eu8lY2U9YY8LvaA+A3la92au4F6 sL23l1quY1l7OuXcdscXyZJWsZsb1b2iVbubwmjKWTttrxMKnD3b.b+K5KA+ U6f2l2r3dUwp2WIWz3FMgmkjkwQL1b.ARRv52orj1W2+IUKs+tKu6iugimse 5px2HajUuWVjemVlzCA19rhcaTEqkMVYF8zMK207028txpkxpvz.2Gu4u2Jc CclpPqH+k4g+2s2ZdYdfv3p5GUZzX1vPCkIRvzVnIkXDEpUzH3dRTejAcxHC wKx7Ls87T0Eka1H03T6r1H+biiIcuD7i0xlEx0q+QvFYcc9JIXWsrFXdzGJq 17VP6yAuSaf9Ev6pJeT+J5mg+R2zsVUHWTtqnou9bD3jIxLfGNKyvtPLpEPE GGJoYcS+GJKZJzfo8Q+VkJe8LeTLyvqU+ic3Hscp61UqtyZDRfGEwgmAr1BX OCVWrVlWMGTkWrrby78.Hx7umtjc3kYGdIhXt9nPLyCiUCwcL1VbNytDRL.i kJNQXF6GlmTZbg7QsL+L3tVtFflEHnvwFPgvsLQ3wAER5TBJ3g.k6xKVMa9E FbzNgpJAHdA3WyWzndP5Gpn3DZav.Tpv57Ei7gUb32EBjEqtn9BKJaju051a sFkRVUoVBT0.UA3O0SPSk5y+4LvlxkRevmdwVG7Q0gJLDNH0G7wPu7cyM.yR oitEHUhSHVrP3CJn7KKT7cyUD.CH.p1+NGH.oFG6P.R6LGacpS0Q9zqG8fbX iN.XLW9F7DALKyCrwNUXSbR3lXL2Ueud+xZ3.0MxsO7DjMFila4xrTuLZ3Tx nOmkxW1sNvPn8acnkt5ciCDwUwFGFfB0ny2qdaYUyrvPLDwIiLmuwgxEgMkw Wy7ANy2+1GVWlOvObrQcQg0p.VY57X5Buv7mZG4DgS3KufL1MBHqL6OfGn6J Lx5nR3M.L5TwF1ofMzQnZ8ISmEZsOssNY8g7p8Jwyd3l7pOoc+7frpQsPqe8 L0ifkTdpcKDv1ku8QykJymQUVze95AwdO4DjukyGBl78ZgIwTaVodoeyOx+2 Kz04OHW997F8Tc2tF4S+TcKZ2B2FDc8NY4G5tc286qNc+VaOGfCdlp3AUs5P s8fATeu184f1rCF55xhUGYjtAZYNcucYVz8Sfm7DeDBBJ0F+CkYWgQ7lyOA+ cYKSm8BqgNlCudeHYzjTFAhEyAYr1CMytqxA.E3qnChXPDwGEo+AshbQrFAR PWCPB0GjnyTDQxvo3vHI3zqADg3CQzNMzvAkFHGAmcMfHXe41oIFTLiwSCji vuFPDeGRGV.SzvAmGpiDr3Z.Rf9fDsiDABkhIARRnWAHRl2cDA0geoYASQXW A.RpuDzzzhrrTnHv7Qv3q..Q3CPDnDDUSNBkgPtB.DeYrhnbcnWJgFZflqgL V8tmFLRG4UPEA6D4ZHgUe4qlwSXBHGFX5pnqgzU8ksp1Eh.QDDQfDDz0P1p9 RVU6BI0jZVVfDjqhDyF8fYCiave82IBayW7I.D.G+fhLMmgAYfDumH6qojPz S9cdqHbmpSbmSOzqlGPnjStHReasmQ64Te9cdvPcnQ9mjllO.voZ9PHbGAND tyoldB4hfReUEhtndZ1nVpLKuzopQA+.B7C3wAKRaU1ft0aC3740z1Ak+yx7 EewaQFsqub8sCsqtrGUuEyBulCvytlL4phuLbQY5+zA0FJk3hj35ByALi7PJ uRYkRVzj2UklSnpK6a7tJYc2TzSReptyNeaGHkOy3WqVUXXW8+oCph5ZUcyD WjFXf0fomIZrhvLzP2UnZpa9amofdjArQSbrk1JAdzmprVq2HfG84J8zqbkw yZHbqr91pDzvs2YYsbadgzaIoccFhvxW4o9b9bMbzKkakEiAItUxs0M00+LC V5iW+4BVIeTUI+B32k40kE.73.iqCyQPl2v5SYKEwOUmU8Jl7YfbFeX6T9.l dkLSSXrGDAB6seJwWV7wHhtt6QtYaYei76eTsr4dKpASXPRJk8sv1rJisOu+ puKHVXwb+CAx5xcUK5lptuUFfdchfrtQUrOJ2e7zWPgdC5d0xkxC5UgkpZS7 xkCGvOX4AEf7fim3.CPbLklKVxS.hiHpRCJ.oAEEogEBU1zNFQBcXgPchlzP EgtPGGG4IDpLEFO7wXtPzwnOnHKPrwDnXiP3w7MmEYAhLl.kFYAZznWhHKPi 4hFyiq.kNl7vhq7jMl7Piq7vGSdHwUdDiIO33JOi4jFGYmzi4iFGYezi4hFE YWzi4gFEaOziIOQ1A8nIIFQ+yunxYkjFRNhwyZQDur1gAgDB9DQ4IjcfghH+ IjCSfLVzqMpkaKUEMsmvBQj8zW1Yg6OJAYzjtq58k53hoFvIPMnPZBosS6Qb t6qgfSMLWMEpwKJeKe09TtPbCbVhnsOriB0.mNEZAilva6u93PMvhIPMvovD XWCOGGqAeJrF5EpYscxdjrFrovZPfZ+MtVKNNFC5TnELVBtsiwijwfLApARu zf21EuwwXfmBiAjoiD6ZN6HYLlhDJLeity5ZX13XMlhDJzIDoi84ZD5HYMBI 623s2IzTjQQJR6uosWYiB2.MEYTffZFPaKPGGtAZJxnfw0gvb8oajzhIIgBT Rz7zfBJ5U7N+mfjm3cblnfbgEOwIjvan3cZlnfp9NNtxCJD4INU7NDyUDi+E .3vOSrw0mK4a29frptcJsBxrM4ez8mwGaWHo80U3tzNiypjl+1Q3Fu3Vyr8e 29+Ps7lFK -----------end_max5_patcher----------- </code>
Adding a Second Instrument
Jumping back to Reason, I've now added a second instrument: a SubTractor analog-ish synth. When you create a new instrument, it makes a new track in the sequencing area of application:
If you start our grid-based sequencer, you will hear that the MIDI stream is not routed; rather, the MIDI input is used by whichever track is currently selected. This isn't optimal, so we want to find a way to force our sequence to be routed to a chosen instrument. Performing this sort of routing magic will require two things: MIDI routing setup within Reason, and manipulation of the midi message that we are sending to the rewire~ object.
Let's start with the Reason MIDI routing setup. If we go to the top of our instrument rack, our basic Hardware Interface display doesn't even have anything related to MIDI showing. Clicking on the Advanced MIDI will reveal a MIDI router, which is where we do our dirty work.
This is a work in progress...
